UNION OFFICIAL SENTENCED TO SEVENTEEN YEARS IN PRISION

Sentenced to pay 2 million in restitution and serve 17 years of prison is Hector Rene Lugo- the former President of the largest union in the Aqueduct and Sewer Authority of Puerto Rico (AAA). As a lawyer for the AAA, I repeatedly dealt with him and his closest aids- Andres Carrasquillo and Elba García (both will also serve jail time); this was many years ago when as a young lawyer I represented the AAA in arbitration.   I still recall the way he used to sneer at us during  the hearings. He seemed to silently say to everyone present,"you fools, don't you know I own this place?" Hector Rene faced a very different hearing this time around and things  did not go as he expected.

For many years Hector Rene was a dominant force in the AAA.  With an absolute grip over the most influential union in the AAA - the Union Independiente Autentica (UIA)- Hector Rene's shoved his influence everywhere-  from the mechanic shops all the way to the Executive Director's Office. It was someone few attempted to mess with; except - of course- the U.S. Justice Department  which charged him (and 11 other union officials) with embezzling over 15 million dollars from the Union's medical plan.

I don't wish for anyone to spend his/her retirement behind bars but unfortunately that seems to be what Hector Rene will be facing.  Hector Rene received his sentence chained and handcuffed; a reminder  to all that the high flying agenda of the most powerful man in the AAA is now clipped to the bare bones activity  of grinding jail time.